I’m convinced that every author, from the prodigiously talented to the mediocre, works their heart out to finish their stories. For that reason, I give bad reviews with pause. I’m not sure there even are bad books so much as there are bad matches between the writer and reader. AS Byatt wrote, “Think of thisContinue reading “The Blahs of 2023”
Tag Archives: reading challenges
Reading Fun Facts: 2023
One of my favorite things about reading is the small tidbits and fun facts you learn along the way. It’s always a sign that a book is worth reading when you happen upon a kernel of information that you haven’t heard before. Here are a few things I learned from books this year: 3. 75%Continue reading “Reading Fun Facts: 2023”
Reading Around The Map: East Asia
One of the undeniable pleasures of reading is the fact that it allows you to cross borders without leaving your couch. Such was my experience in the last month in which I read three books set in different Asian countries. Each of them showed me a part of a country I know little about inContinue reading “Reading Around The Map: East Asia”
Time For Letting Go
It’s the end of the year, and I have been thinking about the books I’ve read, not just this year but for the past few. Four years ago, I decided to keep a book journal to track plot similarities in mystery/suspense books. The aim was simple: since I write in the genre, I was lookingContinue reading “Time For Letting Go”
The Ten (2021)
I often find it difficult to select “best of” lists based on a numerical limit. Do I really need to cut off an excellent contender just because there were ten more suitable options? (And why ten?) The next criteria to grapple with is what the standards are for naming something “best.” There are beautifully writtenContinue reading “The Ten (2021)”
January
We have come to the end of what promised to be a better month in a better year. In addition to watching a televised attempted insurrection and a subsequent inauguration, I finished the following books. LA noir with some good twists. Kirkus starred review. 2. A black queer YA manifesto. Confession: I bought it accidentally,Continue reading “January”
Once More
I have a friend who once described her religious beliefs as, “God, yes. Bible, no.” I see her point. Some are left cold by The Good Book. In addition to its considerable length, there are repetitions in plotting that are confusing (why does God create Adam and Eve twice?) and moral inconsistencies that clash withContinue reading “Once More”
A New Year In Books
Like most avid readers, I have an impressive TBR pile. This has only been exacerbated since the advent of e-readers, of which I am an unabashed fan. My Kindle currently holds hundreds of books, about half of which I haven’t finished. By contrast, my physical bookshelves hold about 150 titles, most of which I haveContinue reading “A New Year In Books”
Books Smitten 